Why Wait?

[Jonathan_S]

Okay I know WHY people wait but I had to find a catchy subject.   

Who actually waits overnight before trailing a wounded animal?  I haven't hunted archery yet, not until September 1st but I've hit several deer during modern and muzzleloader seasons at twilight and have never been comfortable with waiting until morning.  I've also never lost a deer doing this so I may be lucky.

I cut my teeth on NE whitetails and there are bears, cougars, and coyotes - dogs in some situations - that would've made short work of my deer at night.   

So who actually has or continues to wait overnight like the "Pros" ? 

[jackelope]

I never have but if the circumstance dictates, then do it. Its a lot better tactic to let the deer bed and die than to keep pushing it around in the dark.
 

[Jonathan_S]

I suppose if I had an unsure hit late in the evening I would wait but I'd still worry all night about scavengers.  Where I hunt, gutpiles are always gone the next day.

[Fowlweather25]

Im not a big fan. Still give it 30-45 min, grab a head lamp and find blood. If you listen while you track you will know whether you are jumping the animal or not. Also learn how to read blood,( if you dont already, i have faith that you do.) that will also tell you how mortally the animal is hit. If you are sure its dead, keep looking till you find it. I carry bright flagging ribbon. One color to mark blood and the other to mark my route in. That way i never get lost, or lose last blood.

Good luck this season!

[huntnnw]

I did on the largest buck I ever killed. Found the fletching end of the arrow and 2 drops of blood. It looked like a good shot, but everything hàppens so fast I then wasn't sure. It was getting dark , so I left and came back in am found buck 80 yards away

[fastdam]

I dont wait. not interested in rancid meat

[huntnnw]

Nothing is going to be rancid left over night in 20's and 30's ever!

[mholzngel]

2 years ago hit a 115inch blacktail in the shoulder went after it that night followd blood for ever, kept jumping the deer and it would run and run after that i never saw it again looked for 4 days with dogs too. shot an elk with my bow last year waited overnight although i made a great shot i did end up finding it and the meat was/is great washed it in apple viniger which makes meat last long outside of freezing temps.

[fastdam]

Nothing is going to be rancid left over night in 20's and 30's ever!

I have seen two big bulls that were shot at dusk, and recovered in snow the next day which had bad meat. so I am posative it can happen.

[Skyvalhunter]

of coarse it can happen if they were gut shot.

[ctwiggs1]

I wouldn't take a shot unless I planned to track it through the night.  Worst case scenario you are spending the night with a dead animal. 

I'm not bashing other people's tactics or trying to harp on anyone, I'm just saying this has always been my mentality.

[Jonathan_S]

It sounds like there are a few differing opinions but I'm glad to know I'm not considered reckless by the field. 

I never have but if the circumstance dictates, then do it. Its a lot better tactic to let the deer bed and die than to keep pushing it around in the dark.
 

This pretty well sums up how I feel on the subject.



This is a little change of subject but how relieving is it when you make a good shot early in the day?  I've killed most of my deer between 0900 and 1300.  Very nice to have hours and hours of bright daylight to track.

[huntnnw]

We have left 2 bulls overnight that we couldn't find due to heavy rain then darkness to only recover in the morning .. Temps were in the 40's all the meat was fine.


If it were bears no way!

[Button Nubbs]

2011 I shot a bull and jumped him twice throughout the day, he was hurt bad but we didn't want to risk pushing him any further since he quit bleeding. Waited over night and found him at 930 am the next day, 24 hours after shooting him. The meat was still good and I ate every last piece of him. Early September.

[sfrenger]

I dont wait. not interested in rancid meat

 

[turkeyfeather]

I have left one over night. Admittedly it was not a great shot (archery) and it was at last light. It was snowing and cold so I decided to wait till morning. Good thing I probably would have never found it in the dark, and the meat was fine. Now if it's a bear or early sept and still hot. I probably would stay out till I found it.

[furbearer365]

Had a buddy call me 2 years ago, the night before thanksgiving.  He had stuck a cow and wanted to get up in the morning and go look for her.  He said he shot her about 1/2 hour before dark and when he called me it had been dark for about 2 hours.  I told him that we should just go and look that night because if she was mortally wounded she would be dead long before we get there.  He insisted that we get up on Thanksgiving and go.  When we got there we literally on walked 50 yards from where he last marked blood and there she laid.  IMO giving the animal overnight is risking the chance of rotten meat.  If the animal is gonna expire and is mortally hit, just give it a couple hours to be safe and then go get it.  I dont know how but his cow was still good but still to risky for me to pull that maneuver.

[Hermit]

I wait about a half hour to a hour. Don't start running after it before the smoke clears. A wounded animal will lay down and stiffen up if given the chance.

[coachcw]

the only way i'd leave an animal overnight is if I know the shot was back in the liver or guts . If I feel I hit the lungs at all or  have a arrow working in the front cavity I will give it a couple of hours and round up the troops . we have done it any times and pulled all nighters getting an animal out.

[Hermit]

I'm not sure I could leave it overnight either. If you don't chase them they usually won't go far, lay down and either die or stiffen up so they can't get up and run...... Usually.

[Timberstalker]

the only way i'd leave an animal overnight is if I know the shot was back in the liver or guts . If I feel I hit the lungs at all or  have a arrow working in the front cavity I will give it a couple of hours and round up the troops . we have done it any times and pulled all nighters getting an animal out.

My thoughts exactly.